December 2025
December in Review
December was my last month of maternity leave, which is both exciting and bittersweet. I am pretty sure (like 98.9%) that Ronnie and I are done having kids, and so as I’ve been exiting the season of newborn cuddles and re-emerging into the season of working mom x2, I’ve been nostalgic about all the little things: baby coos, goofy baby smiles, the poopy face, and so much more. This December is also proving to be a bit different than previous Decembers in terms of our Holiday plans, which is both exciting and bittersweet. For example, on Christmas Day, my family of four will be waking up at our house, whereas for the entirety of my life up until this point (crazy, I know) I have woken up at my parent’s home to Santa’s presents. The bitter here is that this reality means I’ve officially transitioned, crossed the threshold, etc. into adulthood (?), motherhood (?), I’m not quite sure the word here… The sweet, of course, is this means Ronnie and I have the opportunity to establish our own Christmas traditions, and to establish what our version of Santa-magic looks like for our girls… and that is really special.
The thing I enjoyed most about the month of December was how Charlie and Margaux started enjoying each other’s company in a really special way. Charlie, now nearly 2.5, has moved from parallel play to enjoying playing with others, which is an exciting developmental milestone. What this means in context of her relationship with Margaux, is that she gets really excited for call-and-response-type things. For example, Charlie will do something silly, and then she will look at Margaux to elicit a reaction, when Margaux responds with a smile or a giggle, Charlie erupts into a fit of giggles… that is about as good as it gets as far as I am concerned. I think I’ve saved 100 videos of the two of them laughing with each other.
Another peak moment from December was recording our second Annual Home Video with my dear friend and Photographer/Videographer Taylor. We will compile all of our favorite footage from our phones alongside interviews of our family in a 20 minute compilation video. This was one of the sweetest gifts we had made for our family in 2024, and so I am truly beyond excited to have it again for 2025.
The final highlight from December was, of course, Christmas. Everything from the magic of Christmas eve and reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to Charlie, just like my grandparents did for me when I was little, to waking up Christmas morning to the sight of gifts unloaded by Santa by the fireplace and the smell of warm Cinnabons baking in the oven, was pure magic.
I hope your December was filled with joy, nostalgia, and the kind of magic your heart is craving too.
What I’m Looking Forward to in January
January doesn’t have much in store from a plans perspective, aside from my return to work, and of course, Ronnie’s birthday! And quite honestly, that feels like enough.
I’m excited for the routine that going back to work will bring. I am excited for the connection (to my team, my leadership, my clients) that the return to work will bring. I’m excited for the self-discovery that going back to work as a mom x 2 will bring.
If there is anything I am positive of, it’s that inevitably it will be hard, inevitably there will be at least one mental breakdown in the parking lot outside of Whole Foods… maybe more. And, inevitably, that mental breakdown will help me reimagine February and what getting 1% better at being a working mom x2 requires of me.
Alright, onto the fun stuff :)
What I bought, watched, and cherished in December. Enjoy!
December Gallery
Favs This Month
Fav Book: The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel. For anyone that’s focusing on how they spend more intentionally in the new year, there are lots of good nuggets here for you!
Fav Podcast Episodes: Khloe and Kris on Khloe in Wonderland — any time Kris Jenner is on a podcast, I go out of my way to listen… I just love the way she romanticizes life and talks about the Holidays. The Five Lessons That Shook Me This Year episode with Emma Grede was a great summary of some of her most notable conversations — the Michelle Obama snippet hit hard, and last, I loved Gwyneth Paltrow’s Holiday AMA and hearing how she and her family celebrate the Holidays.
Fav Streams: The Holiday, of course — Nancy Meyers is an icon! Also the Eddie Murphy Doc was just too good. The Grinch (I think we watched this 1000 times, Charlie is obsessed).
Fav Recipes: Christmas morning Cinnabons. Weeknight Salmon. And what December would be complete without Yaya’s Sausage and Pepps. (P.S. did you know that all of my recipes now have downloadable recipe cards (like this one!) that make it really easy to follow the whole menu from your phone, ipad, or even a printed sheet of paper?)
Finds This Month
Fav Pantry / Fridge Item:
I consumed my body weight in Snack Factory Peppermint Pretzels this month.
I also got my hands on some Coco June and put some Purely Elizabeth and Nate’s Honey on top and OMG.
Last, but certainly not least, I made spicy hot cocoa by stirring some Horizon Whole Milk with Tony’s Caramel Sea Salt Chocolate and King Arthur Cocoa Powder and a hint of Cayenne. Then I whipped some Horizon Heavy Cream in my stand mixer for the perfect, not sweet at all, whipping cream… recipe coming soon? :)
Fav Things I Bought This Month:
For Me: A session with Taylor Good to do our Annual Family Video and a Bonne Brusse in black to take care of these locks :)
For Ronnie: Victrola Record Player with three custom records — I have been planning this gift for SO long, I am SO stinking excited that I finally got to give it. I went with the Victrola because it bluetooths to our Sonos system, which is a big deal IMO to have the nostalgia of playing records, but the modern of being able to use your expensive sound system. The custom records were SO much fun to put together, and something where I can see myself producing more after vacations, or as part of new stages of life we enter as a family.
For my kiddos: A balance bike for Charlie, and a contribution to Margaux’s 529 plan! If you didn’t know about the 529 plan “gift link” then let me turn you on to that. We as a household try to be pretty minimalist, which is hard with littles and all the gifts you receive as a result, but we recently learned that you can provide a link to your kiddo’s 529 plan and people can simply contribute money to their future education (thanks, Kyle!). IMHO this is the perfect gift… it says I love you to the kiddo, it helps mom and dad, and the money invested now compounds to help the kiddo in the future. The gift that keeps on giving!
For my whole family: Skims pajamas! I never expected to be a matching pajamas kind of family, but alas, I am here now and I love it. This is the good cheesy kind of thing I think I’ll do every year until my girls refuse to wear the PJs I get :)
For my parents: Platters with Custom Engraving of their Mother’s Recipes. If you are lucky enough to have handwritten recipe cards from the people you love most, this is an incredible way to memorialize those fabulous people and recipes.
For my brothers: Ornaments with photos of their wedding day (Brad & Claire), and engagement (Greg & Steph). I mean who doesn’t love an ornament with a gorgeous picture on it?
For my besties kiddos: Custom embroidered Pottery Barn sherpa blankies. Time and time again, I hear this is the best gift anyone’s ever gotten when they welcome their kiddo to the world, so I keep gifting it.
For my neigbors: Mahan Family Wines Gruner Vetliner! Nothing says I love you more than wine from my family’s vineyard, that was made by hand and with love, than my dad’s wine.
